Co-Active Leadership

4Co-Active Leader in Front

When we think about leaders and leadership, we usually think of some variation of Leader in Front. We have created myths, legends, and heroic stories about brilliant and inspiring leaders who have stepped out in front and said, “I see where we need to go. Follow me.”

Co-Active Leader in Front, however, is not about being the boss and dominating everyone, ordering them around and telling them what to do. The difficulty with this kind of command-and-control, one-dimensional leadership is that it creates separation and distance.

In this one-dimensional approach, leadership becomes transactional rather than relational as those at the top do whatever is necessary to achieve the objective, to meet the numbers. It is unacceptable ...